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DARS Report - Academic Advisement
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Department of Registration and Records
DARS (Degree Audit Reporting System)
Progress Toward the Degree
The College at Brockport has a policy that states that the degree requirements are fixed on the day the student officially matriculates. Once matriculated, the student is only required to meet the degree requirements that were in effect on the day of matriculation, provided that their education continues uninterrupted, regardless of changes that may take place later on. That also includes major requirements even though students may not actually register as a major in a particular field until some later time.
If changes are made, The College at Brockport also gives students the option of pursuing the degree requirements that were in effect when they matriculated or choosing the ones established after that. Students just need to try and not mix and match. If a change in degree requirements creates uncertainty or confusion, students should discuss their concerns with their advisors or with a staff member of the Office of Academic Advisement (585) 395-2711.
What Is DARS?
DARS is a computer-based system by which undergraduate students can access a cumulative degree audit online. DARS lists all the degree requirements that have already been completed, either at The College at Brockport or transferred, and the remaining requirements that still need to be met. The DARS report is designed to help the student and their advisor plan their course schedule each semester and keep track of the various degree requirements for the General Education Program, major, minor, or certification program.
Transfer students need to keep in mind that their initial DARS report will only show their transfer courses and projected transfer status since their transfer course work may still be in progress. DARS will allow students and their advisors to track their progress toward their Brockport undergraduate degree.
What DARS is NOT
The DARS report does not replace an advisor. It is a tool meant to assist both the student and their advisor with their degree requirements. It reduces manual record keeping of degree requirements and gives advisors more time to interact with their advisees. The DARS report is not a transcript, but rather an internal College document that is not intended to report academic achievement to outside parties. The College cannot release the DARS report without the student’s consent.
Both the student and their advisor should pay very close attention to the DARS report and use it as a guide to avoid potential graduation problems. The academic advisor’s role includes more than just checking the DARS report with their advisee. S/he may assist the student with the various aspects of planning their degree program. An advisor’s personal experience may also be valuable in helping students make good decisions about their choice of courses and how their academic program can relate to potential career options.
Transfer Students
In the first semester, transfer students should print a copy of their DARS report and meet with their advisors to review their transfer credits and try to determine which transfer courses that were accepted might be applicable to the major and/or upper division (300-400 level) credit. Students may need to take along course catalogs, course syllabi, textbook titles or any other supporting documentation to show their advisors. This should be done before registration for the second semester at Brockport to avoid any duplication of credit.
The College at Brockport degree requirements that have not been completed are indicated on DARS with a minus sign and those that have been completed are indicated with a plus sign. It is important to note that DARS assumes successful completion of all courses that are in progress. Courses currently registered that satisfy a requirement will be indicated with a + and will be marked IP to show that it is currently in progress. If the course marked IP is not completed or if the student does not pass the course, the + will revert to a - on the next DARS report to show that the requirement still needs to be met. Watch out for any changes! Make a copy of the DARS report each semester and save it in case questions or problems arise regarding degree requirements.
What If Some Transfer Courses Do Not Show On My DARS Report?
If some of the transfer credit is not listed on the DARS report, it may mean that the Office of Academic Advisement has not yet received a final, official transcript from the transfer school and the transfer credit has not yet been evaluated and finalized. Contact the Office of Academic Advisement at 585) 395-2711 for further information on missing transfer credit.
What If Transfer Courses Have Not Been Specifically Equated To Brockport Requirements?
This is usually because the transfer equivalencies aren’t specific enough to be applied and equated to Brockport requirements. If a student thinks that some of their transfer credit could be applied to a specific Brockport major (or minor) course requirement, their advisor needs to review the credit and if applicable, complete a Notice of Award of Transfer Credit form to specifically equate the transfer course to the Brockport requirement. The form should be sent to the Office of Registration and Records to update DARS. This should be done as soon as the decision has been made to apply the course. These forms are available from the Office of Academic Advisement (585) 395-2711.
Inquiries regarding transfer courses that might apply to Brockport General Education requirements should be directed to Dr. P. Michael Fox, (585) 395-2504.
WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT AND
REGISTRATION AND RECORDS WITH REGARD TO DARS?
Office of Academic Advisement - Transfer Credit Acceptance and Evaluation
The Office of Academic Advisement evaluates transcripts received from other institutions and from those transcripts, is responsible for determining which courses The College at Brockport can accept. Once Academic Advisement has received all final, official transcripts from previously attended institutions, the transfer evaluation is finalized and the total number of transfer credits is placed on the student’s record. Accepted transfer courses that are determined by Academic Advisement to meet a specific Brockport requirement or requirements will then appear on DARS with a + where appropriate and applicable. Any remaining – signs must be addressed between the student and their advisor each semester when planning the student’s upcoming schedule. The missing requirements need to change to completed requirements prior to graduation.
What is known the least regarding transfer credit is how courses and credits might transfer to a Brockport major and/or upper division requirements. Transfer courses to be applied to the major or as upper division credit need to be determined by the academic department. Students may want to take course catalogs, course syllabi, textbook titles or any other supporting documentation and meet with their advisors to help with this determination. For any transfer courses that can be applied to the major or as upper division credit, the advisor will then need to complete a Notice of Award of Transfer Credit form available from the Office of Academic Advisement (585) 395-2711.
Students should be sure to follow up with their advisors on any transfer credit that they think could be applied to their Brockport requirements. Courses marked with a minus still remain to be met. Always remember that students can’t graduate until all degree requirements are met and all those minuses on DARS have changed to pluses. The completed form must be sent to the Office of Registration and Records for encoding and updating DARS.
Office of Registration and Records - DARS Encoding
The Office of Registration and Records is responsible for encoding the transfer credit in DARS. This means that once the department has determined and recommended that transfer credit should be equated and converted to a specific Brockport course in the major, minor or as upper division credit, the advisor must complete a Notice of Award of Transfer Credit form and send it to Registration and Records. Registration and Records will encode (equate) the transfer equivalency to the Brockport requirement and make the change on DARS. The requirement will then be indicated as met with a plus (+). If the department verbally indicates to a student that a transfer course is acceptable, but does not submit the form, the requirement will continue to show with a minus (-) until the form is received, encoded and updated on DARS by Registration and Records accordingly.
It is not enough to assume that a verbal agreement reached between the student and the advisor validates a transfer course as equivalent for a major, minor or upper division Brockport requirement. The Office of Registration and Records is responsible for final graduation reviews and graduation reviews are completed based on what requirements DARS says are completed or not completed. Therefore, Registration and Records needs to know, via the Notice of Award of Transfer Credit form, about any transfer course equivalents that have been accepted by the department. Otherwise, any requirements still showing with a minus at the time of the graduation review will be considered missing by Registration and Records and will result in sending the student an unfavorable graduation review letter. Documentation of this nature should be submitted to Registration and Records as soon as the decision has been made to accept the transfer credit. Students are then prevented from having to scramble around at the last minute in their last semester trying to tie up the loose ends. The requirement will not be considered complete until the required documentation is received and encoded by the Office of Registration and Records and DARS is updated accordingly.
Students should check their DARS reports frequently and follow up with their advisors on any missing requirements. Always remember that students can’t graduate until all degree requirements are met and the minuses on DARS have changed to pluses. Keeping track of this is the student’s responsibility.
Course Substitution and Waiver
A Course Substitution and Waiver form is required from the advisor to substitute one course for another or to waive a requirement in the degree program. It is not enough to get verbal approval from the advisor to substitute or waive courses. The course will remain marked with a minus (-) until the Course Substitution and Waiver form is submitted to the Office of Registration and Records for encoding and DARS is updated accordingly. Course substitution and waiver forms are available from the Office of Registration and Records, (585) 395-2531. Remember: A minus sign on the DARS report indicates to the Office of Registration and Records that the requirement still needs to be met. Students should be sure to follow up with their advisors on any substitutions or waivers that are to apply to the program so that DARS can be updated accordingly.
What Information Does DARS Give Me?
Remember that the advisor isn’t only responsible for the student’s major. All missing requirements on DARS should be addressed at the time of the student’s advisement session and schedule planning each semester. The DARS report also lists other important information about how many total credits, liberal arts credits, upper division credits, credits from four-year colleges, general education requirements, minor requirements and how many more courses or credits in ANY of these areas a student may still need to complete before graduation. DARS also addresses some important warnings to which students should pay attention. For example, DARS will point out when a student is approaching the maximum number of credits allowed in any one discipline (54 credits in any one subject) to be counted toward graduation. For a transfer student, DARS will show how the transfer courses have been distributed and how much transfer credit has been received.
Where Can I Get a Copy of My DARS Report?
- New transfer students receive a copy of their DARS report from the Office of Academic Advisement when they attend a SOAR session. If a transfer student does not attend a SOAR session, a copy of their DARS report will be available from Academic Advisement at their initial registration session.
- New freshmen receive a copy of their DARS report and help with interpreting it from their Academic Planning Seminar (APS) advisor.
- Continuing (returning) undergraduate students can get their DARS report online.
How Do You Read a DARS Report?
Students should check their DARS reports frequently but at least, once every semester. Students should also take a copy of it to their advisement session with their advisor each semester when discussing their degree progress and planning their upcoming course schedule for the next semester. The advisor needs to be looking at the DARS report as s/he advises the student and check all sections of the report for missing requirements. Students should try to meet with their advisors in person as much as possible so that they can review the DARS report together and plan their schedules according to what DARS indicates is missing. Many advisement mistakes happen because of telephone advisement done without checking the current DARS report.
Always remember that everyone makes mistakes and this includes advisors. If someone tells a student something that doesn’t sound right or is incorrect according to the DARS report, students should always believe what the DARS report says until it’s proven otherwise. If a requirement is marked with a minus on DARS, students shouldn’t let anyone tell them to ignore it, not even their advisors. If a student thinks there is an error on their DARS report, they should go immediately to the Office of Academic Advisement and get it checked. Students should always remember that they cannot graduate until all degree requirements are met and all minuses on DARS have changed to pluses.
Click here how to read a sample DARS Report